This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Why You Should Learn How to Play an Instrument

So why should you or your child learn to play an instrument? You’ve watched musicians performing in a band and they always look like they are having a great time. Who wouldn’t want to be playing on stage with thousands of screaming fans watching? Or, maybe you’ve heard that musicians are supposed to be good at math.  You may remember back in high school that the high school band kids all seemed to be honor roll kids as well. The benefits of learning and playing music go beyond getting better grades in school or having fun onstage.

 

Here are ten reasons why you should learn an instrument now…

Find out what's happening in Freeholdwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Educational

Studying music can enhance and enrich a child’s learning experience. Studying music requires you to employ listening, counting, and reading simultaneously. In order to understand rhythms, you need to be able to subdivide numbers and be proficient with fractions.  It’s a great way to apply in a practical sense what the student is learning in school.

Find out what's happening in Freeholdwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Focusing

There has been research that has shown that studying music at a young age can improve a child’s attention span. Learning an instrument requires your full attention, from knowing what your hands and feet are doing, to reading notes, and counting, all simultaneously. With regular practice, a child’s attention span can’t help but improve.

 

Fun

Playing music is a joyful experience. Being able to play songs you love, performing in front of others, or just practicing alone in your room, there’s nothing quite like it.

 

You Have Always Wanted To

So, you’ve thought about taking up lessons before. But, there always seems to be a reason why you couldn’t start. The good news is that with all of today’s resources, both online and off, learning an instrument is much easier than it was 10 to 20 years ago. If you can’t make it to a school, some teachers will come to your home. If you’re self-motivated, there are endless resources online to learn on your own.

 

Emotional Outlet

Music is a great way to communicate feelings. Without using any words, music can communicate sadness or happiness, anger or excitement, and hope or despair. For people who may struggle with talking about their emotions, music is quite beneficial to communicate emotional states. For children who haven’t quite matched internal emotional states to the right words, music allows them to say it because they can “feel” it.

 

Physical

Music is a physical activity that requires you to be mentally present. Instead of watching television or playing with a smart phone, which are largely passive activities, pick up your guitar and start strumming. Sit down at the piano and hammer away. Grab your drum sticks and bang those drums! When you sit there for an hour to learn a new song, you feel a great sense of accomplishment.

 

Social Bonding

It’s a great social activity when you play with others. Getting together with a few friends and playing songs together is a blast. Taking turns showing each other how to play is a great way to learn and build confidence through teaching others.

 

Conversation

There are always other musicians around. Being a musician gives you a way to interact with others in social gatherings. Talking about music, musicians, your experiences playing are all great icebreakers in conversation.

 

Creativity

Playing and writing music is a great way to express one’s self. Whether you are creating your own arrangement of a song or writing your own music, it’s a fantastic way to use your imagination.

 

 

Career

Playing music is a fun way to make money as a professional. There are several avenues for a musician to apply their skills and knowledge, through teaching, performing, writing, recording, and scoring. You can go to college and earn a degree in music which will permit you to teach music in school. Or, you can provide private lessons at home or in a music school. Performing in a band or as a solo act can also earn you money. Through teaching and performing, you can make a living doing something you love.

 

What are some other reasons to start learning an instrument?

Richard Sanger, M.A. is the owner of RS Music Company,  a local business that provides in home music lessons in the Central Jersey area. You can find more information atwww.rsmusiccompany.com.  

 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?